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Mindy Colton collection, 1986-2009

 

Summary

Creator:
Colton, Mindy Z.
Abstract:
The Mindy Colton collection, 1986-2009, features samples of Mindy Colton's graphic designs during her seventeen-year career at the University of Central Florida (UCF). While serving As Director and Designer of Publications, Colton oversaw various design projects for UCF, including academic factbooks, annual reports, posters, calendars, advertising campaigns, and event invitations, made for students, faculty, staff, and the public. Her work frequently features not only graphic design, but also her own artwork. Mindy Zimmerman Colton was born in New York City and studied at the Art Students League of New York and attended the High School of Music and Art in NYC. Colton attended Parsons School of Design and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis. She received her M.A. from the University of Central Florida. From 1987 to 2002, Colton worked at UCF as the Director and Designer of Publications. During her seventeen-year tenure at UCF, she oversaw the design and graphics for all UCF publications, crafting a consistent visual identity for the university. After leaving UCF, Colton focused on her fine arts career, developing a passion for bronze sculpture. Colton has exhibited widely, won multiple awards, and received six grants supporting her artistic work.
Extent:
1.5 Linear Feet 3 boxes, 5 flat files
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Mindy Colton collection, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.

Background

Scope and content:

The Mindy Colton collection, 1986-2009, features samples of Mindy Colton's graphic designs during her seventeen-year career at the University of Central Florida (UCF). While serving As Director and Designer of Publications, Colton oversaw various design projects for UCF, including academic factbooks, annual reports, posters, calendars, advertising campaigns, and event invitations, made for students, faculty, staff, and the public. Her work frequently features not only graphic design, but also her own artwork.

This collection offers a glimpse into how UCF advertised and marketed its academic programs and tracks to prospective students from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Additionally, it records many campus events, both academic and not, as well as annual and fiscal reports, which document expectations and summaries of the university's academic year.

Series I: Personal, 1990-2009 contains collected material that highlight Colton's achievements or feature her artwork in them.

Series II: University Publications, 1987-2002 consists of printed publications produced by UCF, such as fact books, brochures, branded folders, and awards.

Series III: Reports, 1986-2000, contains annual reports, financial or fiscal reports, President's reports, and untitled reports about the university.

Series IV: Events Publications, 1988-2003 consists of advertising materials created for specific events held at or by UCF. The General subseries includes both on and off-campus events tied to the university. The Football subseries consist of invitations and advertisements for UCF football games. This subseries also holds materials related to 'The Time Is Now', UCF's advertising campaign to join its first NCAA college football conference in 2000. The Music subseries chiefly consist of audition posters for the UCF School of Music.

Biographical / historical:

Mindy Zimmerman Colton was born in New York City (NYC) to Dr. Louis Zimmerman and Helen Helfstein Zimmerman. At age five, her parents enrolled her in children's art classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She later studied at the Art Students League of New York and attended the High School of Music and Art in NYC (now the Fiorello La Guardia High School for Music and Art and Performing Arts) until she was sixteen years old. Colton attended Parsons School of Design and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis. She received her M.A. from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and studied abroad in San Miguel de Allendé, Mexico. From 1987 to 2002, Colton worked at UCF as the Director and Designer of Publications. During her seventeen-year tenure at UCF, she oversaw the design and graphics for all UCF publications, crafting a consistent visual identity for the university. Her work won multiple CASE Advancement Awards and Bronze Quill Awards, including a CASE Advancement Award in Merit for the 2000-2001 UCF Football advertising campaign "Time Has Come for UCF."

After leaving UCF, Colton focused on her fine arts career, developing a passion for bronze sculpture. Her multimedia work consists of large outdoor sculptures — often of horses — including Renewal, showcased at EPCOT's Flower and Garden Invitational Sculpture Exhibit and bought by the city of Casselberry in 2014. Wind Dancer, a life-size sculpture of Pegasus, was purchased by UCF in 2007 and is still displayed today. Colton has exhibited widely, won multiple awards, and received six grants supporting her artistic work. She has said herself, "I strive for my works to intrigue the viewer, invite a closer look, and exhibit strength, determination, and vulnerability." As of 2026, Colton resides in Orlando, Florida.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Mindy Colton in 2025 (Accession no. CFU2025_03).
Processing information:

Processed by and finding aid prepared by Ava Botwin in 2026.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized in four series as follows:

  • I. Personal, 1990-2009
  • II. University Publications, 1987-2002
  • III. University Reports, 1986-2002
  • IV. Events Promotion, 1988-2003
Materials are arranged by chronological date within their series.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The entire collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Mindy Colton collection, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.

Location of this collection:
John C. Hitt Library
12701 Pegasus Drive, Building 2
Orlando
FL
32816-8030
USA